Traditionally, shift work for radiographers at our institution comprised of three shift patterns - morning (8am-2pm), afternoon (2pm-9pm) and night (9pm-8am). However, when COVID-19 was first detected in Singapore in January 2020, the 12-h shift was introduced for better team segregation and deployment to meet the service needs of the Emergency Department. The 12-h shift consisted of the day (9am-9pm) and night (9pm-9am) shifts. While the 12-h shift is common to nursing practices, it is new to the radiography profession within the study centre. This study explores the radiographers' perspectives of the new shift and the impact of shift patterns on radiographers' wellness and work performance compared to the original three shift patterns.
A mixed-methods design study was adopted for this single-centre evaluation. An anonymous online questionnaire was administered to radiographers who had experienced both shift types. Additionally, the number of radiographers who had taken sick leave, and images rejected and accepted from the X-ray consoles were retrospectively collected to measure the impact of the new shift.
Radiographers experienced fatigue and appreciated the longer rest days associated with the 12-h shift. Additionally, the sick leave rates and image reject counts were more favourable with the 12-h shift pattern.
The findings indicate that the extended shift hours are effective during a pandemic but may result in radiographer burnout during a prolonged outbreak.
Studying these variables will provide an effective starting point in understanding the efficacy and applicability of a 12-h shift system during pandemic periods.
Studying these variables will provide an effective starting point in understanding the efficacy and applicability of a 12-h shift system during pandemic periods.Schmallenberg virus (SBV) is a newly emerged vector-borne pathogen that affects many domestic and wild animal species. A serosurvey was carried out to assess SBV exposure in zoo animals in Spain and to determine the dynamics of seropositivity in longitudinally sampled individuals. Between 2002 and 2019, sera from 278 animals belonging to 73 different species were collected from five zoos (A-E). https://www.selleckchem.com/products/bismuth-subnitrate.html Thirty-one of these animals were longitudinally sampled at three of these zoo parks during the study period. Seropositivity was detected in 28 (10.1 %) of 278 animals analyzed by blocking ELISA. Specific anti-SBV antibodies were confirmed in 20 (7.2 %; 95 %CI 4.2-10.3) animals of six different species using virus neutralization test (VNT). The multiple logistic regression model showed that "order" (Artiodactyla) and "zoo provenance" (zoo B; southern Spain) were risk factors potentially associated with SBV exposure. Two (8.7 %) of the 31 longitudinally-sampled individuals showed specific antibodies against SBV at all samplings whereas seroconversion was detected in one mouflon (Ovis aries musimon) and one Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) in 2016 and 2019, respectively. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first surveillance conducted on SBV in zoos in Spain. The results confirm SBV exposure in zoo animals in this country and indicate circulation of the virus before the first Schmallenberg disease outbreak was reported in Spain. Surveillance in zoological parks could be a complementary approach to monitoring SBV activity. Further studies are warranted to assess the impact of this virus on the health status of susceptible zoo animals.The suitability of corn fractions (break meal 250-500 ?m; flour less then 150 ?m) from hybrids with different amylose contents (conventional 18%; high-amylose 42%; waxy 2%) and their blends, to produce co-extruded snacks was assessed. Corn flour exhibited a higher content in total soluble phenolic acids (+34%) than break meal. The high-amylose hybrid maintained a higher antioxidant capacity and phenolic acid content (+52% for soluble and + 54% for cell-wall bound phenolic acids), even after extrusion, than the conventional one. Because of its gelatinization properties (high pasting and peak temperatures; low maximum viscosity), the high-amylose hybrid produced co-extruded snacks characterized by low section areas and large inner areas. The blends led to snacks whose features (sections and inner areas, porosity and hardness) did not follow a linear trend with the amylose content, suggesting the need for further studies to better understand the starch interactions that take place among the various hybrids.All coffee brews are prepared with roasted coffee and water, giving origin to espresso, instant, or filtered coffee, exhibiting distinct physicochemical properties, depending on the extraction conditions. The different relative content of compounds in the brews modulates coffee body, aroma, and colour. In this study it was hypothesized that a coffee infusion allows to obtain extracts that resemble espresso coffee (EC) physicochemical properties. Carbohydrates (content and composition) were the target compounds as they are organoleptically important for EC due to their association to foam stability and viscosity. The freeze-drying of the extracts allowed better dissolution properties than spray-drying. Instant coffee powders were obtained with chemical overall composition resembling espresso, although with lower lipids content. The extracts were able to produce the characteristic foam through CO2 injection or salts addition. Their redissolution at espresso concentration allowed a viscosity, foamability and volatile profile representative of an espresso coffee, opening new exploitation possibilities.Ultrasound technology offers low cost and efficiency in nanodrug production and therefore was selected to investigate the formation of rutin nanocrystals, and its incorporation in barley starch pyrodextrin. Ultrasonication of rutin (600 W in water, citric acid and NaCl media) was carried out prior to rutin-barley starch pyrodextrinization (90 °C, 1 h). The ultrasound treated rutin (UTR) nanocrystal strands had less then 820 nm in diameter but shorter lengths from treatments at 27 and 36 kJ/cm3 (47 °C) compared to 3.9 and 7.0 kJ/cm3 (86 °C). All UTR showed color changes from yellow (control) to green and greenish-yellow. Also, thermal analysis indicated that UTR-citric acid had two polymorphs identified by melting peaks at 129.97 °C and 145.04 °C and an earlier decomposition at 179.47 °C compared to 244 °C (control). Rutin/UTR had no significant influence on the production of maltooligosaccharides (18-75 mg/mL of dextrin syrup). Ultrasonication enhanced rutin properties for oral delivery.